"George Orwell was merely scratching the surface with telescreens – the 21st century home as a surveillance hub will outstrip anything you read about in 1984. From dishwashers to light bulbs, so-called "smart homes" will allow industry and the government to spy ubiquitously on every aspect of your existence.

CIA chief David Petraeus has hailed the "Internet of things" as a transformational boon for "clandestine tradecraft". In other words, it will soon be easier than ever before to keep tabs on the population since everything they use will be connected to the web, with total disregard for privacy considerations. The spooks won't have to plant a bug in your home, you will be doing it for them.

Soon you will have to live like a reclusive luddite if you hope to escape the new panopticon of surveillance that will be gratefully lapped up by the masses as a necessary sacrifice for convenience and cutting edge technology.

- Google has announced it will use the ambient background noise of a person's environment, via their cell phone or computer microphone, to spy on their activities in order to direct targeted advertising at them.

- Microsoft X-Box Kinect games device has a video camera and a microphone that records speech. Microsoft has stated that users "should not expect any level of privacy concerning your use of the live communication features," and the company "may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications."

- The latest range of digital televisions also have a built-in HD camera, microphones and facial and speech recognition, which are all connected to the Internet. Companies like Samsung have failed to even craft a privacy policy that applies to the devices, meaning its open season on snooping and data harvesting.

- The modern LED "eco-friendly" light bulb is also a two-way communications device. Ceiling lights currently being installed in offices and government buildings "transmit data to specially equipped computers on desks below by flickering faster than the eye can see."

- Outside street lights are also being changed to new "smart" versions so they can be used for "homeland security applications". These devices are fitted with surveillance cameras, can broadcast government announcements, and also have the ability to record conversations.

- Smart meters, now set to become compulsory in many areas, wirelessly communicate with utility companies details about each home's energy consumption, as well as emitting electromagnetic radiation. Health concerns have prompted some local authorities to allow residents to opt-out, but in other areas the meters are mandatory.

- Forget the government having to implant a chip in your forehead, the modern smart phone, owned by the vast majority of the population, does just as good a job. Five years ago we warned that the first incarnation of the iPhone contained a backdoor spyware module that allowed hackers or the government to conduct secret surveillance of the user. Cell phone surveillance is now ubiquitous. Google was also recently caught tracking the surfing habits of iPhone users via a code that disables the Safari browser's privacy settings.

- Google's attitude towards privacy also came under scrutiny when it was discovered that the company was spying on WiFi network data in violation of the Federal Wiretap Act as it gathered images for its Streetview program.

- The most obvious example of all is the Internet itself. ISPs have announced they will keep records of websites visited for at least 12 months, along with details of private communications. This figure is constantly increasing, with the FBI now pushing for ISPs to retain such information for years.

Since most people have already taken the decision to sacrifice their privacy for convenience, all of the technologies listed above will be used to spy on individuals and harvest data which will then be sold to big corporations. The vast majority simply do not care. They value the novelty of a fridge being able to tell you when you're out of milk and automatically ordering more via the Internet more than they do their own privacy.

Whether they will begin to care about the fact that they are broadcasting everything about their private lives and allowing governments and corporations to harvest that data when it actually begins to blowback on them in negative ways remains to be seen. The fact that some employers are now demanding Facebook passwords from their staff is perhaps the first sign of how this could all come crumbling down."

Digital technology has relentlessly provided more safeguard against tyranny than it has been able to provide for it's advancement. So I'm not too worried.

I AM THE CHOSEN ONE
I AM THE GRAND POOBAH OF DDO
I AM THE BOOGIE MAN
I AM THE REAL LIFE SANTA CLAUSE
I AM THE PARADOXICAL ZEBRA PRANCING THROUGH THE GRASSY PLANES YOUR COGNITIVE EXPERIENCE
I AM THE REINCARNATION OF THE DEAD DREAMS OF HUMANITY
I AM THE DISH WHO RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON
I am your friend.

At 3/27/2012 12:55:16 AM, FREEDO wrote:Digital technology has relentlessly provided more safeguard against tyranny than it has been able to provide for it's advancement. So I'm not too worried.

Did you even read the OP? Also, ACTA + Patriot Act negates any help from digital technology.

Yes, but I'm also not worried because I'm not entirely right in the head.

I AM THE CHOSEN ONE
I AM THE GRAND POOBAH OF DDO
I AM THE BOOGIE MAN
I AM THE REAL LIFE SANTA CLAUSE
I AM THE PARADOXICAL ZEBRA PRANCING THROUGH THE GRASSY PLANES YOUR COGNITIVE EXPERIENCE
I AM THE REINCARNATION OF THE DEAD DREAMS OF HUMANITY
I AM THE DISH WHO RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON
I am your friend.

How dare you question the will of the ultimate authority! The so-called spying on us is for our benefit! Where would we be in life without BB!? Nowhere, that's where! And believe me, no one wants to be nowhere; it's a nasty place. Almost as nasty as Mexico.

I will celebrate the day when the thoughtpolice come and vaporize you.